Classical Music of Morocco



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Classical instrumental and vocal music in Morocco, also known as Andalusian music, developed in Andalusia more than a thousand years ago. The current repertoire of songs was assembled in the 18th century, and today most compositions are arranged as song suites in five movements with each movement based on a different metre. The pieces are centered around a melodic mode, and a large part of the performance is based on improvisation, a dominant feature found in music throughout the Islamic world. The orchestra is made up of stringed instruments such as the rabab (two-stringed, bowed lute), ’ud (fretless short-necked lute), qanun (plucked zither with 78 strings), and violin, along with percussion instruments.

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Morocco; Arab Music

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